"I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares," says Saul Bass, creator of many beautiful movie posters, logos, and other designs -- see above for a few iconic examples. Bass made a lasting mark on American graphic design with his bold designs and text treatments. You see his influence today in images that try to evoke a now-kitschy 50's or 60's vibe -- see the "Burn After Reading" poster, for example. See below for a brief interview (two minutes) with the man, which which he discusses making beautiful things versus just making money.

See this YouTube channel for a few more clips from the same interview -- apparently it was a 90-minute interview, available on two DVDs. See also: the evolution of the AT&T logo, several variants of which were Bass designs (and the current version is sort of a 3D knockoff of the Bass 2D "Death Star" design).